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A. I. AMBLER.

HYDEOGARBON VAPOR FUEL GENERATOR ANDBURNER. No. 310,013. Patented 1160. so, 1884..

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I J'Nrrn Smarts Armar AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO BOSELINE N. AMBLER, OF SAME PLACE.

HYDROCARBON-VAPIOR-FUEL GENERATOR AND BURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,013, dated December 30, 1884.

Application nien February 1s, 1584. (No moua.)

` what is known as the plain tire-box.

The object of my invention is to produce a practicable hydrocarbonliame free from ash, smoke,'and cinders for locomotive-boilers, to

do away with the use of wood and coal in run- 2o ning and using the same, especially on passenger locomotives, and to construct a vapor-generating and vapor-burning apparatus which may be applied to locomotive-boilers as at present constructed with very slight al- 2 5 tera-tions or additions. To this end I make use of the devices hereinafter described and shown in the drawings, in which- Figure l is a central longitudinal section of the fire-box of a locomotive-boiler with my apparatus in place, and showing also the boilerfront, the crown sheet, and uesheet, and a section of the iiues and other details, as will be hereinafter explained. Fig. 2 is a partial section which illustrates modifications herein- 3 5 after referred to.

A A, 81o., indicate the tire-box of a locomotive-boiler. A A is the crown-sheet, and A2 the hue-sheet, from which the lues lead to the exhaustchamber through the water space in 4o the boiler, in the usual manner.

The bottom of the rire-box Bis hinged or bolted in place, and may be dropped down on the hinges B to permit the placing (putting in and taking out) of the diaphragm and burn ers in position, and when closed may be secured in position by bolts B2. Inside the firebox I place the diaphragm box or retort D, iirmly secured in position, so that it will extend obliquely from the rear of the lire-box 5o forward and upward toward the {ire-door and crown-sheet, as illustrated. vor retort is made steam-tight, and of such Istrength as to stand the heat and bear the Thisdiaphragm pressure required. It may be made of cast iron, wrought-iron, or steel, or of rolled plates bolted or riveted together.

The diaphragm box or retort D has tubular passages or pipes E E leading through it, for the passage of heat and tlame from the burners. IVhen made of steel or iron plate, the shell of this diaphragm or retort is bent or made on a former. The bushings or bosses F F on the upper side of the plate and bosses F F on the lower side are screwed into holes tapped into the plate above and below. If the diaphragm is cast, these projections may be merely bosses cast on the plate above and below, and may he i'n such number and so 1ocated as required. (See Fig. 2.) If rolled plates are used for the diaphragms, these bosses may be struck up in the plates while undergoing the operation of rolling. The pipes G G, G G', and L are screwed into the bosses F F, so as to communicate with the interior of the diaphragm box or retort D. The pipes G G are of such length as to reach nearly to the crown-sheet and are closed at their upper ends. The pipes G G are of such length as to reach nearly to the bottom of the tire-box, and are' closed atthe lower ends by screw plugs 8o or caps; or the pipes may enter the bosses or bushings F at an angle with the axial line of the bushings; or the bushings may be bored axially and the pipes in making may be bent, so that when screwed into the plate they will 8 5 take a-perpendicular position. (See Fig. 2.)

J am nuts applied to the pipes above and below the bushings serve to hold them firmly in place and to pack the joints. Bushings or bosses F F on the lower side of the plate of I' the diaphragm serve to retain the lower pipes,`

G, which communicate with the interior of the box D, and extend down toward the bottom of the box. These pipes are closed at the lower ends by plugs g, which may be removed for the purpose of cleaning or blowing out. The object of the pipes G and G is to present an enlarged heating-surface to the contents of the diaphragm box or retort D. A pipe, L, leads from the upper portion of the diaphragm roo box or retort D to chamber M in the upper part of the fire-box. rlhis chamber M projects inward from the front of the fire-box. A pressure-gage, O, is placed in connection with this chamber, and serves to indicate the pressure in chamber M, and therefore in box or retort D. A pyrometer, N, serves in similar manner to indicate the degree of heat in said receptacles. A pipe, l), leads from chamber M to near the bottom of the fire-box,where it turns and enters said box, and is there eX- panded, as at l, and supplied with burners Q Q. These burners are in numbers as great as may be necessary, and have top and quartering passages, so as to distribute flame along the lower plate of the retort D and throughout the lire-chamber above and below. More than one tube P and more than one series of burners may be employed, as found desirable. The passage-way for the gas or vapor from the chamber M, and therefore from the diaphragm to the burners, is controlled by the valve P2. The bottom of the fire-box directly beneath the burners Q has air-passages B B, which may be opened or closed by sliding the perforated plate C, as by lever e or in any other manner. A pipe, H, leads from the steamspace in the boiler, and has two branch pipes, H and H", leading down from the valve H1, which controls the entrance to both pipes. A check-valve ath shuts ofi' or prevents steam from flowing into the boiler' through said pipe H. The pipe Hleads to a three-way passage, J. A pipe, J, enters another arm of this threeway passage and serves to bring an oil-supply to said three-way, being governed by valve in said pipe J. Hydrocarbon oil is supplied to this pipe from any suitable reservoir under such pressure as to impel it forward into pipe K and retort D. The pipe HL leads down be neath the lire-box through pi pe Q2, connected by union t to a sprayer, Qj, which is a pipe arranged crosswise ofthe fire-box, and has perforations similar to the burners, but so directed that a blast of steam forced through it will be directed across and along the bottom of diaphragm or retort D toward the front of the lire-box and around the diaphragm into the upper lire-chamber. The pipe H has a second source of steam-supply from a donkey or other boiler outside the engine by the application of a hose `or coupling at the point covered by cap H. This is to enable the engineer to put the retort or apparatus in operation and raise steam in the boiler before leaving the round-house.

The operation of my device is as follows: Steam is admitted to pipe H and oil to pipe .T under suitable pressure. At the three-way J the steam and oil will be intimately commingled, and will pass forward together through pipe K, past the check-valve K', into the diaphragm box or retort D. Then the required pressure of steam and vapor has been attained in the diaphragm-say twenty to thirty pounds-as indicated by gage 0, and when the pyromcter N indicates a sufficient l degree of heat in said receptacle, the valve I may be slightly opened, and the vapor or gas will then flow down the pipe P to pipePand to the burners. The gas escaping from the burners will be ignited, as by a bit of burning waste, and will flame up around the pipes G G. As combustion isincreased and the flame enlarged, the valve P2 is further opened, when the flame from the several orifices of the burners will unite and rise against the bottom of .the diaphragm, where part of the heat and flame will pass through the passages E E, serving to heat the contents of said retort, while a part of the heat and llame will be deiiected forward by the force of pressure and the inclined bottom of the diaphragm, and, passing around tbc front thereof, will impinge upon the crown-sheet A. From the crown-sheet A the flame and heat will be again deflected, and, commingling with that which has passed through the passages E E, will iiow around the pipes G G and L, and so on to the line-sheet A2 and through the tlues R to the exhaust-chamber in front ofthe ilues. Only a weak exhaust will be advisable, if any at all; in fact, by the application of this apparatus and the use of vapor fuel, the exhaust may be used to heat the water before entering the boiler by any of the modes in use for that purpose. Should the pyrometer or pressure-gage atany time indicate that the pressure or heat in the retort is becoming too great, the valve is opened to admit steam to pipe H2, and so around to the sprayer Q3. rlhis has the effect of blowing a current of steam across the bottom of the diaphragm and driving the heat and flame around the front thereof, against the crown-sheet, and into the flues, thus tending to distribute the heat and increase the steam-production while reducing the temperature on the lower side of the plate ofthe retort D, and to equalize the combus- .tion by transferring the superabundant heat in the lower chamber to the chamber above, and this should be continued so long as may be required. In running downgrade the flame should be turned down, so far only, however, as to retain the proper normal pressure of steam and temperature of heat in thc retort and fire-box.

By the arrangement described I am enabled to dispense with thc burning of coal in the fire-box of a locomotive-boiler. rlhe boiler can be heated to any degree required without the production ot' smoke, ashes, or cinders. The apparatus can be applied to any locomotive or similar boiler now in use, or to any stationary boiler constructed substantially the same as a locomotive-boiler, or what is known as thc plain lire-box.

The tire is made self-feeding' by the simple manipulation of the valves, and requires little care or attention, and the services of a fireman may be dispensed with.

The whole operation being under the absolute control of the engineer, bythe proper manipulation of the valves, the fire may be IOO extinguished in an instant and immediately relighted and started again, as by lighted waste or by electricity.

Having thus described my'invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patcnt isl. The combination, with the fire-box of a locomotive-boiler, of a diaphragm constituting a retort inclosed within said tire-box and extending from side to side thereof, supplypipes leading from steam and oil vessels or receptacles to said retort, and a pipe leading from the retort to the burners, substantially as described.

2. In thc lire-box ot' a locomotive-boiler, a closed inclined and hollow diaphragm or retort, and tubes extending therefrom in the direction of the crownshect above the diaphragm.

3. In combination with the iire-box of a locomotive-boiler, a series of tubes extending down from the diaphragm in lthe direction of the bottom ofthe box, having ends closed by removable plugs or caps, substantially as shown.

4. rlhe inclined diaphragm D, having passages E, leading directly through it, the vertical pipes G, opening into the chamber of said diaphragm, and the vapor-burners placed bcneath the same, all being combined in the firebox ofa locomotive-boiler, so that the flames from the burners shall impinge upon the bot tom of the diaphragm and the pipes connected therewith and be commingled and deflected, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination with the tire-box of a locomotive-boiler, a series of vapor-burners arranged ncar or on the bottom ot saidtire-box, and an inclined diaphragm, constituting a retort, placed in position above said burners to deflect the flames, substantially as described.

(i. The combination ot' a steam-pipe and an oil-pipe leading to a pipe common to both, a hollow diaphragm-retort, which is fed by this last-mentioned pipe, a check-valve, K, in said pipe, and a pipe, L, leading from the interior of said diaphragm to burners beneath said diaphragm, substantially as shown and set forth.

7. The combination, with the retort, of a steam jet or sprayer arranged beneath th'e retort to cool the lower plate of the diaphragm, to distribute and equalize the heat in the lower and upper chambers of the nre-box, substantially as described.

S. In combination with the inclined diaph ragm or retort having passages E E and pipe L, arranged as described, the burners Q Qand the sprayer Q3, arranged, as described, to blow the flame and heat from the bottom around the front of the retort, to distribute and equalize the same, substantially as shown and described.

S). In combination with the inclined diaphragm having passages leading directly through the same and vertical pipes extending from the diaphragm in both directions, a system ofsteam and oil pipes leading to the interior of the diaphragm, and a system ofpipes leading from the interior of the diaphragm to a series of burners arranged beneath the diaphragm, whereby a gaseous vapor may be produced in the diaphragm, and thus led to the burners, the combustion of the same serving to heat the diaphragm and attachments and also the water in the boiler, and raise the steam to and retain the same at the working pressure and temperature required for use, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

AUGUSTIN I. AMBLER.

XVitnesSeS:

W. A. BARTLETT, l. S. WELCH. 

